Combined typewriting and com



Q Nov. 12, 1935. o. THIEME COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Original Filed July 15, 1930 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COM- PUTING Otto Thleme, Hartford,

MACHINE Conn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined typewriting and computing machine in which the numeral-key operates an actuator to rotate a totalizer-driving master wheel, and especially to full-stroke devices for the actuators, to insure the full depressions and full return strokes of the numeral-keys.

Heretofore full-stroke dogs have been rigidly mounted on a journaled cross-bar, each dog in position to co-operate with a toothed edge of a key-driven actuator that drives a master wheel and totalizer. Such full-stroke 'mechanism cooperated with a key-locking mechanism, so that a depressed key must be completely returned before it can be unlocked and permit a second key to be operated.

In such machines, the toothed edge of a return ing actuator not only acted upon its own fullstroke dog, but also caused all other full-stroke dogs to vibrate idly, since they were all rigidly connected; and when any full-stroke dog was riding on top of the teeth of its returning actuator, the idle dogs were in ineffective positions, and the keys were not locked.

The key-locking mechanism is so constructed that it becomes temporarily inefiective near the end of the up-stroke of the key, thereby affording opportunity for a second key to be accidentally depressed in the short interval of time while a full-stroke dog is riding over the last few teeth of its own returning actuator. The actuator would therefore fail to complete its return stroke. It would result that the master-wheel drivingclutch would remain open, inasmuch as the actuator would not return to the point at which said clutch could close. The clutch therefore not being closed, it would result that the master wheel would not be rotated at the stroke of said second key, whenever it is prematurely operated. Thus (1) the second key would not be locked at the moment, and (2) if the second key were operated, it would not turn the unclutched master Wheel.

In this manner it might happen that the second operated key could be effective to print through the usual type-driving train, but would fail to drive the master wheel, since any returning actuator holds all master-wheel clutch-operating dogs in clutch-releasing position. Therefore the amount would be printed upon the sheet without being run into the totalizer.

The present invention relates to the abovementioned operation, and aims to prevent a second key from being depressed until the entire train of mechanism operated by the first key is fully returned to normal position.

For this purpose each full-stroke dog is mounted for independent individual rocking. All these dogs are carried upon a fixed supporting shaft. Upon operation of any actuator, its associated full-stroke dog will be affected, While the other full-stroke dogs remain in normal idle positions.

The key-locking mechanism, upon being automatically released just prior to the completion of the return of the first key, would afford an opportunity for premature operation of the second key, except for the provision herein disclosed of an automatic lock to prevent such operation of the second key. The second key cannot drive its master-wheel actuator, and therefore cannot itself descend, because provision is herein made for automatically detaining said second master-wheel actuator until the release of the first actuator from the control of the first key.

It may be explained that these full-stroke dogs are positioned in a row adjacent a row of clutchoperating toes, and that the latter are all rigidly mounted on a rock-shaft which closes the master-wheel clutch. It should be further explained that any actuator, when returning to normal position at the release of the key, raises all of the clutch-operating toes to positions where they are directly under or in the path of such full-stroke dog as may be descending. The toe is locked in this elevated position, during the time that it rests upon the edge of the returning shoe or cam. The locking effect therefore endures substantially throughout the return of the first-depressed key. In this elevated position, the locked toe serves as an interceptor by which the down-rocking full-stroke dog is temporarily arrested. Hence so long as the shoe is descending, the full-stroke dog is locked from returning to normal position. Hence all the unoperated keys remain locked by the one full-stroke dog, and this condition is maintained until the shoe releases the clutch-operating toe, so that the latter may drop out of the path of the full-stroke dog. The toes and their shaft move as a unit.

Hence, when the key-locking mechanism becomes inefiective, just prior to its complete return, the full-stroke dogs co-operate with the clutch-operator to render premature depression of a second key impossible.

In other words, the key-locking mechanism is always effective to prevent the second key from being prematurely depressed, except at the moment when the first key is completing its up stroke; and at that moment the clutch-closing 55 toe serves as a stop for the full-stroke dog, to temporarily lock a second key against depression.

A feature includes the rearrangement of the full-stroke mechanism by the substitution of flexible back-checking dogs or pawls (for cooperation with the actuators) that can swing in either direction without the usual lost motion, at the initial forward or return movement of the actuator. This renders the full-stroke devices practically instantaneous at the initial movements of the actuator in either direction by the keys.

This application is a division of my pending application No. 468,175, filed July 15, 1939.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mastergear train and the connections to a numeralkey.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section, showing the construction of a flexible full-stroke dog.

Figure 3 is a perspective operational view of the interlocking features of the full-stroke devices as when a second key is depressed before a first key has been fully restored.

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of the full-stroke dogs and actuators, one of which is checked by its dog.

The Underwood typewriting machine includes numeral-keys 25 that operate key-levers 26 to swing type-bars to strike against a platen (not shown).

The computing mechanism may be divided into two mechanisms, a totalizer-mechanism secured to a traveling carriage and an actuating mechanism secured to the frame that translates the depression of the numeral-keys into digital values to be entered into the totalizers.

The totalizer-mechanism includes a truck 48 that may support a plurality of totalizers 2 in the usual manner.

The master-wheel actuator-mechanism includes a frame 43 secured to the machine over the keyboard. The frame 43 provides an antifriction ball-raceway 44 to co-cperate with a companion raceway in a rail 45 of the truck. The actuator-frame 43 supports a stationary rod 48, upon which is mounted a series of spaced actuators 4-9.

Each actuator has a spring 52 tensioned to normally hold a stop-face 53 against the frame, and further has a pivotal connection 54 with an actuating link 55 connected to a key-lever 26 at 56. Each actuator 49 is also formed with a camslot 51 to engage a stud 58 of a crank-arm 59 permanently secured to a rock-shaft 66. The cam-slot of each actuator varies in eccentricity, and from a uniform swing of the actuators by the numeral-keys, motion will be transmitted to the shaft 60 that progressively varies in rotative scope according to the 1 to 9 computative value of the numeral-key depressed.

Secured to the shaft 60 is a crank-arm 6 5, ha. ing a long stud 52, Figure 1, upon which is slidably mounted a link 63, having its free end permanently pivoted to a gear-sector 64 that normally is in train with a pinion 65 loose upon a shaft 66 and formed with a master-wheel clutchmember 61.

To co-operate with the rotating clutch-member 61, a companion clutch-member 58 may include a head 69 joined thereto by a sleeve 79 to form a unit slidable along the shaft 66. The head 69 may be formed with tongues Ti slidable within grooves 12 in a flange 13 forming a part of a master gear 14 fixed to the shaft 66. With this construction, the clutch 68 may be moved along the shaft 66 to interlock with the member 6'! driven by the sector 64, the tongues Tl will still engage the grooves 12 and the master gear will be rotated until the clutch 68 is withdrawn to release the master gear near the end of the down stroke of the key as will appear.

Each actuator 49 has a tongue or shoe secured thereto and operable to engage the adjacent clutch-closer, the latter being in the form of a toe l6 pinned to a rock-shaft T1, the toes being at intervals to align with the shoes. The initial downward swing of an actuator 49 engages its toe 16 to rock the shaft 11, to rock and raise a clutch-closing arm 18, secured thereto, so that the descending key may rotate the master wheel.

The free end of said arm 18 carries a lifter 19 connected to one arm 80 of a bell-crank 8| having a stud 82 operable to slide the clutchmember 68 and the head 69 along the shaft 65 to interlock the master wheel 14 with the pinion 65 before the sector 64 is rotated. Just in advance of the full down stroke of the key, the toe will snap off the upper end of the shoe "E5 and the clutch-interlock will be withdrawn, and the master wheel 14 will be freed from the pinion 65, and will remain stationary while the pinion 65 and sector 64 return idly to normal positions upon the release of the depressed key.

Each master-wheel actuator has peripheral V- teeth operable to be engaged by check pawls or dogs 83 loose on a shaft 84, to force a completion of the key or actuator-stroke, in a wellknown manner.

Each link 5:; connecting the keys 25 with the actuator 49 has a mutilated edge formation 55 operable to pass the link between two adjoining floating pins 85 arranged in longitudinal endto-end series in the bar 39 to prevent the joint depression of two numeral-keys as shown in detail in Figure 1.

In my pending application Serial No. 286,218,

filed June 18, 1928, (now Patent No. 1,971,544, I

dated August 28, 1934), the rock-shaft 84 is provided with a series of dogs 83 permanently fixed to the shaft, each dog being in alignment with the toothed edge of an actuator 49. A full-stroke device of that character required a slight down movement of the numeral-key before the dogs became effective and interlocked with the actu ator, and also a slight return movement of the key before the full stroke was effective.

The free actuation of the key while the dogs i are being swung into operation from a central position, sometimes gave trouble when a second key was depressed before the first key was fully restored, due to this loss of motion between the keys and the full-stroke mechanism.

By changing the shaft 84 and its dogs 83, the loss of key control at the end of the returning key-stroke is now minimized or eliminated.

To these ends, the dogs 83, instead of being permanently secured to the shaft 84, are provided each with a limited swinging movement independent of the shaft 84. The dogs 83 may be formed from square stock, tapered on two sides at l6! (Figure 2) to a sharp point and each shouldered down at the other end to form a round shank 168 threaded at the free end. The shaft 84 may be flattened at I69 for each pin-position, drilled through at I!!! and counterbored at the opposite side of the shaft to provide a housing with tapering walls 17!. The dog seats upon the flattened face of the shaft, with the shank I68 passing through the hole 118, a washer I12 slipped over the shank to bear against the face of the counterbore IN, a compression spring I13 set over the shank to rest upon the washer and a nut I14 threaded upon the shank I68. The nut I14 may be reduced at I15 to pass within the spring, and when the spring H3 is compressed between the nut I14 and the washer I12, the dog is self-centering upon the shaft 84 at right angles thereto under a light spring tension. The tension of the spring I13 may be suflicient to restore the dog to the normal position of Figure 2, or permit the dog 83 to be vibrated slightly up or down by master-wheel actuator 49.

With the two shafts II and 84 in the normal positions of Figure 1, the key may be partially depressed, the type-bar will be raised, a fullstroke dog 83 depressed by co-operation with the tooth-edge of the actuator 49, the master gear 14 connected through depression of a toe l6, and the adjoining keys locked by the displacement of the rods 85.

The final part of the depression of the key places the parts where the toe 16 has been released by the actuator 49 to disconnect the master wheel 14.

The release of the key picks up a toe l6 and a dog 83 for a return full-stroke control of the actuator.

Near the end of the return key-stroke, the keylock at the link 55 becomes ineffective by reason of the link-edge 55* becoming disengaged from the floating pins or rods 85 before the return keystroke is completed. At such period of ineffectiveness of said key-lock, other parts of the keytrains may be in the condition represented at Figure 3, wherein the dog 83, urged by its spring I13, has escaped from the incompletely returned actuator 49 and is opposed by the toe 16 since the latter remains upturned, under control of the actuator-shoe 15, until the return stroke of said actuator 49 is fully completed. If, by any chance, a second key is depressed while such incompletely returned actuator 49 still maintains its own toe l6, and also all the other toes in upturned, dogopposing position, as represented by I6 Figure 3, the shoe l of the actuator 49 corresponding to said depressed second key may pass under said toe 16 But the teeth of said actuator 49 will be arrested by the dog 83, since the latter is opposed by the upturned toe 16*. Thus depression of the second key and its actuator 49 is arrested irrespective of the aforesaid period in which the key-locking rods 85 at the link 55 are momentarily ineffective. The shoe I5 of the arrested actuator 49 maintains the toe 16 in position to block said actuator 49 through the dog 83" even after, following the Figure 3 condition, the first actuator has completed its return stroke. Following the Figure 3 condition, it will be necessary to first return the dog-arrested actuator 49 to normal position, whereupon the toe l6 will escape from the shoe I5 and resume its normal Figure 1 position. A renewed stroke of the second key and its actuator 49 may then be completed and will be accompanied by operation of the master-wheel 14, whereas if the attempt to operate the second actuator 49, before completion of the return stroke of actuator 49, had not been checked by the described cooperation of the toe 16 and dog 83, there would have resulted a computing error due to the actuator 48 being fully operated without concurrent operation of said master-wheel.

In this manner means are provided to practically eliminate the idle interval at both the initial down and return stroke of the keys, where the keys are not under the control of the full-stroke elements to render the manipulation of the 5 numeral-keys fool-proof. The arrest of the actuator 49* by the dog 83 (Figure 3) is effective until the return of shoe 15 of the returning actuator 49 is fully complete and the toe l6 releases the rock-shaft 'I'l to the action of its position- 10 centering spring I16.

The slight swinging movement of a second actuator 49 to the arrested position a of Figure 5 may partially rock its shaft-arm 59, but the rotation of the shaft 60 will be ineffective, because the open clutch-elements 61 and 68 are locked until the shaft 11 and its toes 16 are released and subsequently rocked into an angular position reverse to the position of Figure 3.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent 20 that the new organization includes the repositioning of the two parallel rock-shafts l1 and 84 for a co-operation of the series of toes 76 and dogs 83 so that the return movement of the keys will vibrate the series of toes 16 to a position of abutment, against the under sides of the dogs 83, and these toes l6 become stops to arrest the downward swing of any dog 83 by any actuator 49, until the shaft TI and toes I6 are released by the restored key.

It will be appreciated that if the dogs 83 were fixed to a rock-shaft without individual dogmovement, the dogs would always assume the same linear plane, and it might be possible to depress a second key while the returning actuator was positioned as at Figure 4, and the second actuator might skitter under a dog 83 and tie up the machine. But when the dogs 83 have independent movements, one dog 83 may backcheck the actuator as shown in full lines at Figure 4, and the remaining dogs 83 of the series would normally assume the dotted position of Figure 4, and become wedged against the toes 18 to arrest any prematurely-operated second actuator 49.

To prevent any skittering of a dog 83 over the teeth of the actuator, if the actuator-direction were reversed before it had completed its stroke, the actuator-teeth may have wider and deeper teeth I" at intervals as shown. The dogs 83 when blunted by wear may be easily replaced, without disturbing the other parts of a complicated mechanism.

For the purpose of timing the toes I6 and dogs 83 for co-operation, the actuator may have a section I18 devoid of teeth. The individual vibration of a flexible dog 83, having a light spring tension, relieves the burden of key-rocking a stronger tensioned rock-shaft carrying a series of fixed pins. The usual key-lock is effective during the greater part of the actuation of a key, and the co-operation of the toes 16 and dogs 83 supplement the key-locking means for a quicker and closer full-stroke control of the keys. While the shaft 84 is shown with the centering spring I16, the shaft might be stationary with the frame, and the individual dogs 83 wholly tensioned by their springs H3.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a computing machine, the combination of a series of digit-keys, a series of actuators, one actuator for each key, and a pair of parallel shafts, one shaft having a series of flexible dogs therealong and the other shaft having a series of dogs fixedly mounted along the shaft, the dogs of both shafts arranged in pairs one over the other with each pair aligned to an actuator to be vibrated thereby when a key is depressed and when the same key is returned, the fixed series of dogs during the return of an actuator preventing the actuation of a flexible dog by another actuator until the returning actuator has completed its movement.

2. In a computing machine, the combination of a series of digit-keys, a series of actuators, one actuator for each key, and a pair of parallel shafts, one shaft having a series of flexible dogs therealong and the other shaft having a series of dogs fixedly mounted along the shaft, the dogs on the shafts being arranged in pairs one over the other, with each pair aligned to an actuator to be vibrated thereby when a key is depressed, the dogs of one shaft operating as stops for the dogs of the other shaft, to arrest the actuation of any other actuator.

3. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral-keys, a master-wheel, actuators for said master-wheel, said actuators being individual to said keys, said actuators having fullstroke racks, a series of dogs each individually pivoted for operation with its rack independently of other dogs, and means co-operable with each of said dogs, for preventing a second key from being depressed until the entire operative train of mechanism of the first depressed key is fully returned to norm-a1 position.

4. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral-keys, a master-Wheel, actuators for said master-wheel, said actuators being individual to said keys, said actuators having full-stroke racks, and a series of dogs each individually pivoted for operation with its rack independently of other dogs, said dogs being each co-operative with a master-wheel clutch-operating means, to render premature operation of a second key impossible.

5. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral-keys, a master-wheel, actuators for said master-wheel, said actuators being individual to said keys, said actuators having fullstroke racks, a series of dogs therefor each individually pivoted for displacement by its rack independently of other dogs, and means to intercept the dogs to enable them to dog the racks and thereby prevent premature operation of a second key, said intercepting means co-operaating with a clutch which connects the masterwheel to the actuators, and serving to arrest the full-stroke dog of any prematurely depressed key and thereby prevent th actuator from moving and the key from being further depressed.

6. The combination with numeral-type keys and adding mechanism including a master-wheel that is normally disconnected from the keys, of key-trains including actuators for operating said master-wheel, and means to enable any key-train to connect itself to said master-wheel and also to release itself from the master-wheel at the conclusion of the down stroke of the key, and to become locked in its released condition during the return stroke of each key, means being provided for preventing a second key from being operated without connecting itself to said master-wheel, and for assuring full stroke of the actuator in each direction.

'7. The combination with a master-wheel, of a set of numeral-keys, a set of actuators controlled by the keys, said actuators having fullstroke racks, individually pivoted full-stroke dogs for the actuators, each actuator displacing its dog upon the operation of its key, said masterwheel being normally released from the actuators, and means to enable any actuator to connect itself to the master-wheel at the beginning of the down stroke of its key, and to enable the actuator to release itself from the master-wheel at the conclusion of said down stroke of the key, said connecting and releasing means including cams upon the actuators and followers for said cams, the set of followers being connected to move as a unit, and said followers being held by the active cam in the paths of the full-stroke dogs while the master-wheel connection is locked by the followers out of use during the return stroke of the active key, and until the active follower escapes from the cam, so that no key can effect a spurious movement of its actuator by reason of the latter being locked in normal position by the coaction of its dog with its camfollower and rack.

8. The combination with numeral-type keys, of key-interlocking mechanism ineffective to prevent a second key from being partly depressed While a first key is concluding its return stroke, adding mechanism including master wheel that is normally disconnected from the keys, keytrains, a full-stroke device individual to each key-train, and means to enable any key-train to connect itself to said master wheel to operate the latter and to maintain such connection as the key descends, and to release itself from the operated master wheel at the concluding portion of the down stroke of the key, and to maintain the released condition during the entire return stroke of the key, said individual fullstroke device for each key being operable independently of the remaining key-trains, and the full-stroke device of each inactive key-train being effective to automatically co-operate with the connecting means belonging to the active key, for preventing premature operation of a second key during the return of the active key.

9. In a computing machine, the combination with a set of digit-keys, and key-interlocking means ineffective to prevent a second key from being depressed while a first key is concluding its return stroke, of an adding mechanism including a normally disconnected master wheel, a masterwheel operating mechanism including actuators connected to said keys, whereby each key is effective at the beginning of its down stroke to connect itself to the master wheel, and at the conclusion of its down stroke to release the master wheel, said master-wheel operating mechanism including a device effective during the return stroke of the key, for locking the master wheel in released condition, and auxiliary means effective for preventing a second key from printing its type during said return stroke of the first key, said preventing means being controlled by the device which locks the master wheel in released condition.

10. In a computing machine, the combination with a set of digit-keys, and key-interlocking means ineffective to prevent a second key from being depressed While a first key is concluding its return stroke, of an adding mechanism including a normally disconnected master wheel, a master-wheel operating mechanism including actuators connected to said keys, whereby each key is effective at the beginning of its down stroke to connect itself to the master wheel,

and at the conclusion of its down stroke to release the master wheel, said master-wheel operating mechanism including a device effective during the return stroke of the key, for locking the master wheel in released condition, and auxiliary means efiective for preventing a second key from printing its type during said return stroke of the first key, said preventing means being controlled by the device which looks the master wheel in released condition, and forming part of a fullstroke mechanism for the actuators.

11. The combination with numeral-type keys, and adding mechanism including a master wheel normally disconnected from said keys, of keytrains, means whereby, at the down stroke of any key, its train is connected to said master wheel to operate the latter and is automatically disconnected from said master wheel preparatory to the return stroke of the active train, said means including a device becoming effective to prevent the master wheel from being reconnected to a key-train until the active train is fully returned, thereby to prevent reversal of said master wheel, and mechanism dependent on and correlated to said preventing device so that said mechanism is automatically rendered effective by said preventing device becoming effective, to keep any other key from executing a printing stroke until said active train is fully returned, thereby to prevent printing without computing.

OTTO THIEME. 

